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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28661109">The Performance</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis'>Jathis</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Steward and the Sorcerer [55]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sofia the First (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Asexual Character, Fluff, M/M, Magic, Slice of Life</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:21:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>613</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28661109</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cedric entertains Roland’s guests and the staff of the castle</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Baileywick/Cedric the Sorcerer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Steward and the Sorcerer [55]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2091021</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Performance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Cedric was performing for the Royal family and their guests. All of his spells and demonstrations of his potions had worked so far without a single mistake. His magpie Rosemary had also helped, fluttering over to several guests and generally being very cute and agreeable with them. She was a vast difference from the anti-social Wormwood who only came when he was forced to. Cedric’s confidence was also vastly different from before and it showed in his spells.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Baileywick stood beside Roland’s throne, watching the performance. He smiled, feeling proud of the younger man as he dazzled his audience by turning several rocks into different breeds of birds. These birds flew into the air, circling around the audience once before escaping through an open window.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He has gotten better at his social anxieties, hasn’t he?” Roland whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Baileywick nodded in agreement. “He just needed to know that there was someone in the audience who believed in him. I’m just sorry I did not realize it sooner,” he whispered back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We all wish we had realized it sooner,” Roland sadly agreed. “But look at him now! This...this is what we used to talk about when we played Dazzleball. Me as king and him as royal sorcerer. We used to imagine things being like this and then…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Time moves forward,” Baileywick reminded him. “And things that are broken can be mended again when given the chance.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sofia said the same thing.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s a very clever child,” he chuckled. He perked up as Cedric suddenly walked towards him and Roland. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sorcerer smiled and gently took his glasses off. “Have you ever heard of someone being the apple of one’s eye?” Cedric asked. He made a show of reaching into one of the lenses, twisting his wrist to produce a bright green apple in the palm of his hand. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a pause as applause was given and Cedric looked incredibly proud of himself. He stood up straighter than usual, holding the apple aloft. He returned Baileywick’s glasses, letting the tips of his fingers play over the older man’s cheeks. He tapped the apple with his wand and it changed into a silver goblet of cider.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sire,” the royal sorcerer offered the goblet to Roland, bowing his head to him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roland smiled knowingly, shaking his head. “I know who it is really for,” he softly said. “No disrespect will be taken giving it to the one it’s meant for.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cedric smiled, turning to Baileywick. He offered the goblet to him and the steward took it with a bow of his head. With that, Cedric turned and walked back out to the center of the room to continue his performance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Baileywick gave the cider a faint sniff before tasting it. It was strong but mellow, the kind of drink that could sneak up on someone if they weren’t careful. He remembered talking to Cedric once about drinks and how he had once tasted such a cider during his studies in his early twenties. He had not realized that Cedric would remember, let alone replicate it!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re blushing,” Roland noted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm?” Baileywick blinked and gasped when he realized he had gotten lost in his thoughts. “Oh! Sire, I…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Roland smiled at his trusted steward. “There’s nothing to worry about,” he assured him. “Seeing the two of you happy is enough for me. Any proper king should wish for such happiness in their castle.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Baileywick bowed his head in deference to Roland’s words. He drank from the cup sparingly, his cheeks remaining a rosy color for the rest of Cedric’s performance. Whether it was from the cider or his feelings for the sorcerer...well, no one could say.</span>
</p>
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